: I have heard this factor brought up by others lots of times and yesterday was
: at a major manufacturer who states he only installs foam bulkheads because
: solid bulkheads from stress points. This is true, but I think solid
: bulkheads are better. Still I would like to address the stress build up at
: these points. I am considering adding a SMALL keel strip of fine grained
: strongest redwood size 3/8" x 5/8' with dbl 1/4 round over top. Lay
: this with epoxy end to end and cover with a strip of 9 oz. tape before
: glassing the interior. And or add a "rib" (3/4" x 3/4"
: cut out "ring" of ply, like a "form" with the center
: cut out). I would install one "rib" half way between the front
: bulkhead and the bow and one behind the rear bulkhead 1/2 way to the
: stern. This cuts the "unsupported" span of the boat at any one
: place down in half (think increase of stress relief will be better if it
: is more spread out this way). Even with both keel and ribs the weight gain
: is very low. Any builders have an opinion on this being a net gain by
: distributing stresses more evenly over the surface of the hull ?

: Joe

In order to save myself time and also address the flex issue (if it exists) I used silicon sealant to tack the solid bulkhead in place, a couple spots around the bottom third of the bulkhead where I left an 3/16 inch gap. Then I glassed it in from sheer to sheer under the deck and used the silicon to put a bead around the rest. It was quick and I ended up with solid support for the deck and a small space for flex between the hull and bulkhead on the bottom. I'd admit it was a waste of time if it wasn't at least as quick as glassing in a tight rigid bulkhead.